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| An official portrait of my friend Isabel, in jewelry by Daniella Kronfle. Photo by Victor Rodriguez |
I was so excited when my dear friend Isabel Bucaram commissioned the special ring you see above. Isabel is one of my favorite people here in Miami, and through the years, we have seen each other advance in our careers. She grew up, like me, in Ecuador, and I have known her for a long time. Working with friends can be tricky, but when a woman knows exactly what she wants, it is my duty to look to my skills as a designer and give it to her.
When she came to me, Isabel wanted very clearly to have a ring with meaning. After much research, we settled on a serpent because being one the oldest and most widespread symbols in western culture, it represented to her eternity and renewal. As far as fashion and design, we looked at serpents that have been worn by powerful and successful women like Angelina Jolie, Jessica Alba and Rihanna, giving us a great starting point and a little inspiration.
The serpent is a very popular motif in jewelry and rightfully so because it has a wonderful mythology behind it. Since ancient times it has been used in imagery and amulets to signify fertility, immortality, and most importantly, it represents the creative life force. They are also guardians and are known to have the fiery quality of dragons, often being used interchangeably with them.
When designing this piece, I took all of the history and lore of the serpent into consideration before even choosing the gemstones I was going to use. I also put much though into Isabel herself,, her personality, the size of her hand, and even her skin color. All of these are very important when designing a custom piece like this. Isabel is an incredibly beautiful, energetic and compelling woman, with a very outgoing dynamic. When I thought about the shape of the ring I was not about to go big, since she has the temperament to match.
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| My gorgeous friend Isabel and me |
Since the imagery of the serpent was already so strong, I knew that I could not overpower the design with too many colors or varieties of gemstones. Isabel and I chose diamonds and 18kt yellow gold for the materials, with the special touch of two beautiful emeralds for the eyes of the snake. The results were spectacular and she was thrilled to receive such a stunning piece.
Snake and serpent jewelry has been worn since ancient times, so when creating this ring we had to breath new life to an old classic. Snake jewelry is best given as a gesture of good fortune, good health and as a protective charm. It also is known to represent the eternal union between a couple, as well as the never ending love for one another. For Isabel, it was symbol of her femininity and individualism, as well as a high fashion, and luxurious piece of fine jewelry.
I loved designing this very special ring for my friend and the results, as you can see are amazing. Stay tuned for more previews of what is to come in the fall.
Love Always
Dani K
CONVERSATION